Aquatic device



y 1933- G. c. EDERLE ET AL 1,911,129

AQUATIC DEV-ICE Filed Jan. 6, 1932 M' HHI I Patented May 23, 1933 GERTRUDE C. EDERLE, OF NEVJ' YORK, N. Y., AND CADWALLADER W. KELSEY, 0F SHORT HILLS, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO LAMINATED SHIM 00., INQ, OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK AQUATEG DEVICE Application filed January 6, 1932. Serial No. 585,000.

This invention relates to improvements in aquatic devices and more particularly to a hand controlled device for facilitating swimming.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a self-sustained swimming device which is provided with a retractible paddle so that a swimmer may force the device through the water with substantially little resistance in one direction, and may use it as a control in the return direction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a portable hand operated swimming float with a self opening retractible paddle for assisting the swimmer and which will be self sustaining to prevent not only its own loss in the water, but which will assist in sustaining a person otherwise sinking and unable to float.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hand operated float having a water catching self opening, scoop for swimming and so arranged that the operator may swim faster and more safely than with heretofore known swimming aids.

Another object of this invention is to provide a swimming aid for swimmers and those learing to swim which will teach them the overarm stroke and assist not only in propulsion through the water but will also prevent drownings.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following description thereof taken in connection with the attached drawing which illustrates a preferred form of embodiment thereof and in which;

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the aquatic device,

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the device 1 shown in Figure 1 with the paddle in dotted line to show it on the return stroke,

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail partly broken away and taken substantially on the line 3-3 to show the paddle securing construction.

Previous devices for promoting swimming, particularly among children, such as water wings, inflated rubber tubes and the like often result in a false sense of security in which the child will paddle out beyond his depth and may slip through the inflated tube or away from the water wings with the result that the child may find himself in danger of drowning. One of the advantages of our invention is that it does not provide a false sense of security and in use the child or adult will naturally accustom himself to movement of the device with a swimming motion so that the use of the device automatically teaches a form of swimming stroke and does not encourage the child to go beyond his depth before acquiring proficiency in the use of our swimming device.

The'swimming device shown, which is illustrative of one preferred form of construe tion consists of a float 10 which may be hermetically sealed, and although preferably made of sheet metal, may be made of cork, balsa wood or other material which will float and offer a support for the remaining parts. A hand grip may be made integral with or secured to the float 10 by any suitable means such as straps 14 which are secured by the rivet 16. The straps 14 also carry the retractible paddle or scoop 18 which is secured to the float at a point substantially near the end of the float opposite the hand grip 12. As shown in Figure 2, the paddle 18 is adapted to pivot on the supports 14a by means of the pivot 19 which passes through the projecting ears forming the supports 14a on the straps 14. This construction is more clearly slgpwn in Figure 3 and has been found suita e.

The paddle or scoop 18 is so arranged that as the paddle is pushed away from the swimmer, the water will engage the bottom side of the paddle 18 and force it into the closed position as shown in the full lines in Figure 2.

buoyancy but also due to the reaction of the water on the inclined paddle.

lVhen the paddle is drawn toward the swimmer, the water will engage the inner side of the paddle l8 and force it to swing open until the rear part of the paddle 18 engages the strap 14 at the point 14;?) adjacent the end of the float. In such position the paddle offers a substantial scoop like effect and the operator may exert a very powerful pulling force by such means.

The paddle is preferably made of wood and may be of a size approximately the size of the float. The handle 12 is also preferably made of wood so that the entire swimming device will float and has sufficient buoyancy to effectively aid in preventing a sinking person from submersion. The device, however, also has the advantage that it may be practically used for extremely rapid swimming in that the swimmer can draw the paddle through the water materially increasing his power on the return stroke and not appreciably hindering the passage of the paddle through the Water on the forward stroke. The use of wood in the handle and paddle tends to increase the sense of security in the user although it is to be understood that the paddle could be made of any sufficiently thin, light and strong metal such as aluminum and the handle could be made of any similar suitable material. lVhile the tank is preferably sheet metal which may be easily formed and rendered air tight it may also be made of materialthat will float and which is not relatively heavy such as cork, etc.

It is also to be understood that various other means may be provided for securing the handle and the paddle to the float and that the size and shape may be varied as desired. It is expected that the device will be used in pairs, one for each hand, although such construction is not essential. The abutment for the paddle may also be changed to afford either a greater closing or a lesser closing of the paddle and it may be mounted on the paddle itself or as desired.

The device may be used in various swimming strokes such as the breast stroke in which it is pushed forward and drawn back in an almost straight line or in an overhand stroke in which the arms and the float are thrown forward above the water and drawn back toward the body underneath the water.

While we have shown a preferred form of embodiment of our device we are aware that other modifications may be made therein and we therefore desire a broad interpretation of our invention within the scope and spirit of the disclosure thereof and of the claims appended hereinafter.

Ve claim:

1. An aquatic device comprising a. float member and a retractible scoop and means to project said float member through the water to retract the scoop in one direction and to pull the float through the water in another direction to open said scoop to increase the resistance to movement, said float projecting means including a gripping member, said gripping member and said scoop being secured to opposite ends of said float memher.

2. An aquatic device of the class described comprising a self-sustaining float, a buoyant retractible paddle mounted substantially at one end thereof and a buoyant hand grip mounted on the end opposite said retractible paddle, and means to freely pivot said paddle on said float whereby said paddle will open when said float is pulled through the Water to cause an increase of resistance to such movement and to allow said paddle to partially close on reverse movement of said float.

3. A swimming help of the class described comprising an air tight tank, a hand grip secured to said tank substantially near the end thereof, and a paddle pivoted on the opposite end of said tank to increase the resistance of movement of said tank in one direction, said paddle partially closing to decrease the resistance to movement of the tank in the other direction by deflecting said tank upwards.

4. A swimming help comprising a portable fluid supported body and scoop pivoted intermediate its ends to said body, said scoop being movable to open position in one direction of movement one part of said scoop forming a pocket with the body and closing in the opposite direction, said scoop being spaced from said body in such position, said body being buoyant and adapted to support a swimmer.

5. A swimming help of the class described comprising a buoyant member, a hand grip secured to said buoyant member, a buoyant paddle, means to pivot saidpaddle to said buoyant member, said paddle being spaced below said buoyant member in normal position, means to space said paddle from said buoyant member in a closed position so that said tank may be pro ected through the water with a minimum of resistance in one direc-- tion, said paddle adapted to close against said tank in the return direction to materially increase the resistance to movement and to facilitate high speed swimming, the

hand grip, buoyant member and scoop pivot- 4 ing means being in alignment so that any pull on said hand grip will tend to open said paddle'to operative position.

6. As an article of manufacture of the class described a body member, a paddle member,

and means to hinge said paddle member with respect to said body member substantially near one end of said body member and intermediate the ends of said paddle member, said paddle member adapted in one position to lie at a small angle to but spaced from said body member and in a second position, said paddle member lying at a substantial right angle to said body member and in closed relation with the end thereof.

7. As an article of manufacture of the class described, an aquatic device comprising a buoyant member, a foldable scoop secured thereto and a hand grip, means to hold said scoop at a small angle to said buoyant member when said buoyant member is moved away from the operator to raise said buoyant memher, and means to hold said scoop at a substantial right angle to said buoyant member when said member is moved in the opposite direction to cause said member to act as a scoop, the hand grip and scoop being on the same side of a water level line through the buoyant member so that a pull on the hand grip will open the scoop to the right angle position.

8. As an article of manufacture of the class described, an aquatic device comprising a buoyant member, and a foldable scoop secured thereto, means to hold said scoop at a small angle to said buoyant member when said buoyant member is moved away from the operator to raise said buoyant member, said scoop being pivoted intermediate its ends, said shorter portion contacting with said buoyant member to hold said scoop in a pocket relation to said buoyant member.

9. As an article of manufacture of the class described, an aquatic device comprising a buoyant member, and a foldable scoop secured thereto, means to hold said scoop at a small angle to said buoyant member when said buoyant member is moved away from the operator to raise said buoyant member, said scoop being pivoted intermediate its ends, said shorter portion contacting with said buoyant member to hold said scoop in a pocket relation to said buoyant member, and a hand grip mounted on said buoyant member opposite to said scoop.

In testimony whereof we have afiixed our signatures to this specification.

GERTRUDE C. EDERLE. CADWALLADER W. KELSEY. 

